Vehicle switching device



May 12, 1953 L. B. FO RMAN VEHICLE SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 20 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l g jfi INVENTOR 4 ,5, 07777472,

ATTORNEYS.

M y 2, 953 L. B. FORMAN 6 VEHICLE SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 20', 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR "I'll" Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE SWITCHING DEVICE Louis B. Forman, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich,- a

corporation of Delaware A plication February 20, 1951, Serial No. 211,839

v 5 Claims. 1

My invention relates to vehicle electrical systerns and has particular reference to a new and novel type of switching means for a vehicle electrical circuit.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a vehicle with a novel type of switching arrangement which cooperates with one of the vehicle doors,

Another object of my invention is to provide a new switching arrangement which not only closes an electrical circuit when a door is closed but also indicates if the door is completely and tightly closed.

A further object of my invention is to provide 2 posed above the bolt 2|]. A keeper 24 is suitably secured to the center post [6 by means of a bracket 26. The bolt 24 is rotatably journalled in the lock casing upon a trunnion or pin 28 and is formed to provide a keeper engaging portion 30 which projects externally of the lock casing I8 for cooperation with the keeper 24. The outer portion 39 of the bolt is formed to provide a plurality of radially extending, equian'gularly spaced keeper engagin teeth 30a, 30b, 33c and 36d, any one of which is effective to cooperate with either the safety catch 32 associated with the keeper or the keeper surface 34 associated therewith, to hold the door [4 in either the para switching device which is simple in design as tially closed or safety position, or the completely well as economical to manufacture. closed position, respectively. It will be appre- The invention deals generally with the convenciated that the annular spaces between the teeth tional type of vehicle rotary lock mechanism in 30a, 3th, 300 and 30d, relative to the spacing becombination with a switch which, for example, tween the safety catch 32 and the keeper surface controls the dome light circuit within the vehicle. s4 is such that the bolt 20 can roll over or across Other objects and advantages will become more the keeper in a manner similar to the cooperation apparent from the following description of one between a gear and a rack. An illustration and embodiment of my invent-ion, reference bein had iption of the portion of the bolt 28 disposed to the accompanying drawings in which: Within the door l4 may be had in the aforemen- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a motor vehitioned Patent No. 2,195,179. cle having portions broken away to more clearly Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3, the illustrate the invention. keeper 24 comprises a body which may be and Fig. 2 is an elevatlonal view partly in perspecpreferably is formed as a relatively heavy metal tive illustrating the door latch mechanism utilized ampin and w i h is formed to define the p in my invention. 30 v o y me t o bo t engaging Surface 34. The Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the door previously ent d s y catch 32 ay be latch mechanism having portions broken away formed as a die casting, or the like, and is pivand in section to more clearly show the invention. otally supported upon a pin 36, which extends be- Fig 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 tween ends supported in the opposite side wall of Fig. 3. 35 of the keeper 24. A spring 38 is connected be- Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 tween the catch 32 and the keeper body and conof Fig. 3. tinuously urges the safety catch 32 to the active Fig. 6 is a schematic drawing of the electrical position shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that circuit utilized in my invention. the otherwise continuous body of the keeper. 24 Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 I have '40 is 0111? y as indicated at it to afford a slot or shown a motor vehicle, generally designated by the numeral l0, including a body'po'rtion I 2, having a door l4 hinged thereto. The body portion is also provided with a center post [6 which supports the door It when it is closed,

The latch mechanism which I have shown in the drawings is of a conventional type and is described and illustrated in Patent No. 2,195,179, issued to Rollo Marple on March 26, 1940. A full description and showing of this latch device may be had by referring to this aforementioned patent.

The improved device which is secured within the door 14 of the vehicle comprises generally a casing 18, a rotary bolt 20 and a dove tail 22 dis opening through which the safety catch may move from an active position shown in Fig. 3 to a retired position.

My invention relates to the combination of the aforementioned and described latch device and a switching device generally designated by the numeral 42. As more clearly shown in Figs, 3, 1 and 5, the switching device comprises a contact member M formed of flat metallic material disposed within the keeper and having an ear or flange 46 integrally connected at one end and extending outwardly therefrom. The ear 6'6 is held in place by a rivet 48 which extends through an outer wall or the keeper and which is insulated from the keeper by a sheet of insulating material 50, a collar 52 of non-conducting material and non conducting washers 54. The fiange 46 is thus insulated from the rivet 4B but abuts a terminal lug 56 which is also disposed around the rivet 48. The terminal lug 56 is soldered to a wire 58 which extends outwardly of the keeper into the vehicle. The contact 44 is insulated from the keeper by a sheet 60 of non-conducting material which extends the entire lengthof the surface 34. As more clearly seen in Fig. 3, a second contact member 62 of flat metallic material is similarly provided with a flange 64 which is carried by a rivet 66 in the identically same manner as the flange 46 is carried by the rivet 48; Therivet 66 is secured to the keeper wall in the same manner as rivet 48 is secured to the wall. The contact member 62 extends substantially the length of the surface 34 and is provided With sufficient 'resiliency to be urged into engagement with the con-.

tact member 44. This position of the contact member 62 is illustrated by the dashed lines in Fig. 3. The contact member 62 is similarly insulated from the keeper by the sheet 60 of nonconducting material. To efiect opening and closing of the contact members 44 and 62, I have opening to allow the passage of the element 58 therethrough. It will be seen, therefore, that due to the notches l2 and 14, the switch element 68 is connected to the contact member 62 and any movement of the element 68 will in turn move or pivot the contact member 62. v

In operation, when the vehicle door I4 is open and the bolt is no longer engaged with the .keeper 24, the switch element 68 extends outwardly of the opening 10 in the surface 34 of the keeper to an extent that the contact element 62, dueto its inherent resiliency, engages the contact element 44 and as viewed in the schematic diagram of Fig. 6, the dome lamp 80 within the vehicle is energized since the switch 42 is in series with the dome lamp 80 and the vehicle battery 82. When the vehicle door [4 is partially closed or as shown by the dashed lines of the bolt 20 in Fig, 3, the contact elements 44 and 62 are still engaged and even though the door is partially closed, the dome lamp 80 is still energized. When, however, the door I4 is completely closed, and the bolt 20 is in the position as shown by the solid lines, in Fig. 3, the tooth a. of the bolt engages the switch element 68 and slidably urges it inwardly of the keeper thereby raising the contact member 62 off of the contact member 44 and breaking the electrical circuit which energizes the dome light. It will be seen, therefore, that myimproved combination not only simplifies the location of the dome light switch but also effectively indicates to the driver of the vehicle when the rear door with which the switch is associated is completely closed.

While I have illustrated and described but one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that such is for the purpose of illustration only, and it is contemplated that those skilled in the art may modify certain details without de- 4 parting from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body having a swingable door, the combination comprising a rotatable latch bolt and a keeper respectively secured to said door and body, said keeper having first and second abutments defining first and second stations for engaging said bolt when said door is in a partially closed and a completely closed position, respectively, and switch means for controlling an electrical circuit within said vehicle having a portion extending outwardly from said second abutmerit and engageable with said bolt when said boltis in said second station.

2. In a vehicle body having a swingable door,

I the combination comprising a rotatable latch bolt and keeper respectively secured to said door and body, said keeper havin first and second abutments defining first and second stations, for receiving said bolt when said door is in a partially closed and a completely closed position, respectively, said second abutment having a surface provided with an opening therein, and switch means for controlling an electrical circuit within the vehicle comprising contact members disposed within said keeper for opening and closing said circuit and an element operatively connected to one of said contact members andslidably disposed within said opening, said rotatable latch bolt engaging said element and opening said circuit when the bolt engages said surface and said door is in said completely closed position.

3. In a' vehicle body having a swingable door, the combination comprising a rotatable latch bolt and keeper respectively secured to said door and body, said keeper having first and second abutments defining first and second stations, for receiving said bolt when said door is in a partially closed and a completely closed position, respectively, said second abutment having a surf ace provided with an opening therein, and switch means for controlling an electrical circuit within the vehicle comprising contact members disposed Within said keeper for opening and closing said circuit, means anchoring said contact members, means insulating said contact members from said anchoring means, and an element operatively connected to one of said contact members and slidably disposed within said opening, said rotatable latch bolt engaging said element and opening said circuit when the door is in said completely closed position.

4. In a vehicle body having a swingable door, the combination comprising a rotatable latch bolt and keeper respectively secured to said door and body, said keeper havin first and second 'abutments defining first and second stations, for receiving said bolt when said door is in a partially closed and a completely closed position, respectively, said second abutment having a surface provided with an opening therein, and switch means for controlling an electrical circuit within the vehicle comprising first and second contact members disposed within said keeper for opening and c10sing said circuit, one of said contact members having an opening therein, and a switch element having a notched portion disposed within the opening in said one contact member and slidably disposed within the opening in said surface, said rotatable latch bolt engaging said switch element and opening said circuit when the door is in said completely closed position.

5. In a vehicle body having a swingable door, the combination comprising a rotatable latch bolt and keeper respectively secured to said door and body, said keeper having first and second abutments having first and second stations, for receiving said bolt when said door is in a partially closed and a completely closed position, respectively, said second abutment having a surface provided with an opening therein, and switch means for controlling an electrical circuit Within the vehicle comprising first and second contact members disposed within said keeper for opening and. closing said circuit, one of said contact members having an opening therein, means anchoring said contact members to said keeper, means electrically insulatin said' contact members from said anchoring means and from said keeper, and a switch ele- 15 2,467,815

LOUIS B. FORMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,193,488 Morley Mar. 12, 1940 Curtiss Apr. 19, 1949 

